Guyanese Hall of Famer, Alex Bunbury, holds clinic in Linden

Guyanese Alex Bunbury, who played Football at the National level in Canada and who was inducted in the Canadian Hall of Fame, held a football clinic at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground on Monday for school

Students from Linden do drills at the MSC ground during the Alex Bunbury visit to Linden this week.

children and coaches.
According to Bunbury, this tour of his home was forty years in the making. He said he came back to present his vision to the country from the grassroots up and it starts with education. He claims his focus is education and he is using sports as a means to getting children on board and football is his choice. “Football obviously being the sport of my choice and the things I have accomplished as a footballer and being from Plaisance and where I am the youngest of thirteen and didn’t have much in terms of monetary gains, but I had the opportunity to enhance the gift that God has given me when I moved to Montreal, Canada when I was nine years of age.”
Bunbury noted that he thinks what is lacking in Guyana is the opportunity for young people. “I want to use my fame and resources to put together a project that will focus on academics and focus on academics big time, not just in words but putting up a State of the Art facility that will be a safe haven for these kids and I am going to be presenting this to the President.”
The Hall of Famer said he hopes the Government will be behind him because he will need their support to make it possible. He noted, to promote what he intends to do, he will be going into different local areas and run some

Alex Bunbury (3rd right front row) with some of the children participating in the recently held programme at Linden.

goodwill clinics for the children and provide them with backpacks and all kinds of things including an autograph so they can remember that it all started in their neighbourhood.
Bunbury spoke to the children about the important of academics, the importance of structure, the importance of believing in themselves and being independent when it comes to providing for themselves and others. “Not being put in a position where we were four hundred years ago; We were enslaved and if you are not educated you will be dependent on the Government and others and that’s a form of slavery. I want young people to know that they have it within themselves to educate themselves, because now they have a voice and if we can use athletics as a means to get these young people into the righted track it would be fantastic and this has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with our country and I am talking unity.”
The Hall of Famer said he doesn’t care what colour of skin you are and what Political Party you are in, the bottom line is about the children and their future and it shouldn’t have politics. He thinks he is a fresh face and doesn’t need anything from anyone and claims he is successful by the grace of God. “So I come here and I don’t need any handouts from anyone, I don’t need any favours from anyone, I’m just talking the truth. Hopefully the Government and the people in general would be behind us and will make this a reality because it is needed.” Bunbury noted that this country could be the shining light of this region and this is the most beautiful country he has ever been to.
According to Bunbury he didn’t expect to see Guyana so beautiful after forty years so why not use the face of someone who came from this country and has become a Hall of Famer? He said he is renowned, a Guyanese and from Plaisance and the children can relate to it and he is going to take full advantage of it if he needs that to get his project going.
When asked if he will be back, Bunbury answered in the affirmative, “I’m not doing this just to show up once. This is not just lip service, I’m here. A lot of people might talk but I am here. I’ve spent my resources to come here to show the kids in this country that I mean business.” He claimed he brought in his associates and they are going straight to the President. “I’m not joking around this is for real. Timing is everything. There is a new Government in place, but whether it was or wasn’t I was going to do it anyway.”
He was asked if he has any interest in doing an academy like the special project GFF was looking for from FIFA and again he said ‘Of course’. Bunbury said there will be a certain location that will be the flagship, but they will be spreading throughout the country the reason for him going to the interior to conduct clinics. “So we would be putting different sites and I will be using resources to make sure that places like Linden have the resources to develop these young people. We will piggyback off of that and that is what our intention is. We need to work together as a group and this is not about politics for me at all. I don’t want to get into any politics. I don’t want any red tape. I want to go to the President directly, directly to the President and say ‘Mr. President this is what we have been talking about, this is progressive. Let’s work together and do this, no red tape’. (Jacquey Bourne)